Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Chronology of Coverage

Feb. 26, 2015

Turkish police arrest at least 40 fellow officers on charges of wiretapping Pres Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other top officials; arrested officers are suspected of having ties to Fethullah Gulen, exiled Muslim cleric and Erdogan rival who has been accused of plot to overthrow government. MORE

Feb. 20, 2015

Dispute over thrown snowball that led Turkish shopkeeper to fatally stab journalist Nuh Koklu in Istanbul after unusual snowfall has become point of political tension; Turkish Journalists' Assn says Pres Recep Tayyip Erdogan shares blame for incident due to public statement about how shopkeepers were keepers of order on the streets. MORE

Feb. 18, 2015

Thomas L Friedman Op-Ed column points to steady stream of anti-Semitic statements issued by Turkish Pres Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government as evidence that country is moving away from democracy; warns that this growing global trend is especially worrisome given that democracies in West and America are increasingly inefficient, as shown in Stanford University Prof Larry Diamond essay in Journal of Democracy. MORE

Jan. 6, 2015

Turkish parliamentary commission effectively backs Pres Recep Tayyip Erdogan by voting not to prosecute four former cabinet ministers on corruption charges; Erdogan's inner circle had been rattled by corruption scandal in 2013, one he called fabrication of his political opponents. MORE

Jan. 4, 2015

Turkish Pres Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been cracking down on editorial cartoonists, long a staple of Turkish politics; cartoonist Musa Kart, who has a history of drawing cartoons critical of Erdogan, has been sued by Erdogan over his satirical drawings. MORE

Dec. 27, 2014

Turkish high school student jailed for insulting Pres Recep Tayyip Erdogan is released from custody after his arrest creates backlash among opposition parties. MORE

Dec. 26, 2014

Turkish teenager is detained by police for allegedly insulting Pres Recep Tayyip Erdogan in speech at student protest in Konya; Prime Min Ahmet Davutoglu defends arrest, and boy could face four years in prison if convicted. MORE

Dec. 23, 2014

Turkish Pres Recep Tayyip Erdogan, during speech at wedding, remarks that birth control is threat to country's lineage and beseeches couple to have at least three children; controversial comments, which many Turks have criticized as divisive, sexist, paranoid and outdated, are latest in his campaign to establish Turkey's rightful place in the world. MORE

Dec. 20, 2014

Anadolu News Agency, semiofficial Turkish government news media, reports that court officials have issued arrest warrant for self-exiled cleric Fethullah Gulen claiming that he participated in planning overthrow of government; Gulen, who lives in Pennsylvania, is unlikely to be extradited to Turkey despite Pres Recep Tayyip Erdogan's efforts to condemn him. MORE

Dec. 17, 2014

Turkey's education system is latest evidence of continuing push by Turkey's Pres Recep Tayyip Erdogan to change country's tradition of secularism, injecting religion into public life; Turkish parents are finding that state, without their consent, has assigned their children to religious schools, even as number of secular schools decreases. MORE

Dec. 15, 2014

Turkish police detain at least 24 police officers, journalists and other media workers; raids come days after Pres Recep Tayyip Erdogan signaled new campaign against supporters of influential Muslim cleric Bethullah Gulen, who he accused of attempting to overthrow his government; detentions draw more than 1,000 demonstrators who protest against repression of news media. MORE

Dec. 9, 2014

Turkish Pres Recep Tayyip Erdogan promises to introduce compulsory classes in Ottoman Turkish, older form of national language, into national school curriculum; plan has drawn widespread criticism from parents and political opponents. MORE

Nov. 25, 2014

Turkish Pres Recep Tayyip Erdogan, during international conference on justice and rights for women, declares that women should not be regarded as equal to men; also says that pregnancy is obstacle to equal opportunity in the workplace and denounces feminists for rejecting motherhood. MORE

Nov. 1, 2014

Recep Tayyip Erdogan has shifted from Prime Minister of Turkey to President, using conflicts with his political enemies and with United States to strengthen his authority; Erdogan, following precedent set by Russia Pres Vladimir Putin, is absorbing power and privilege of prime minister's post into his new position. MORE

Oct. 30, 2014

Turkey's Pres Recep Tayyip Erdogan cancels Republic Day celebrations at presidential palace to meet with relatives of 18 people trapped in coal mine in Anatolia. MORE

Oct. 23, 2014

Turkish Pres Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticizes American airdrop of supplies and weapons near Syrian town of Kobani, saying United States had mistakenly aided militants besieging town instead of Kurdish fighters defending it. MORE

Oct. 18, 2014

Turkish prosecutor dismisses charges against dozens of defendants in corruption case that had threatened government of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, former prime minister who was recently elected president; case, from the beginning, was seen as a power struggle between Mr. Erdogan and his onetime ally Fethullah Gulen, Muslim spiritual leader who lives in exile in United States. MORE

Oct. 9, 2014

Editorial condemns Turkish Pres Recep Tayyip Erdogan for failing to take action against Islamic State extremists besieging town of Kobani, Syria, and its Kurdish population; holds by remaining passive, Erdogan is seeking to weaken Kurds and force United States to help him oust Syrian Pres Bashar al-Assad; contends Erdogan thus is enabling Islamic State extremists, enraging Kurds in Turkey and threatening 50-plus-nation coalition United States has assembled. MORE

Oct. 8, 2014

Pres Obama's plan to fight Islamic State group without being drawn deeper into Syrian civil war comes under acute strain as militant fighters bear down on Syrian town of Kobani on Turkish border; Turkish Pres Recep Tayyip Erdogan says country will not get more deeply involved in conflict unless United States agrees to give great support to Syrian rebels. MORE

Oct. 5, 2014

Sep. 27, 2014

Obama administration will consider establishing a no-fly zone over northeastern Syria to protect civilians from airstrikes by the Syrian government; statement follows request by Turkish Pres Recep Tayyip Erdogan for a buffer zone along the Turkish-Syrian border, where tens of thousands of Syrians have sought refuge. MORE

Sep. 23, 2014

Turkish Pres Recep Tayyip Erdogan says Turkish and American officials are in discussions about how to battle Islamic State militant organization, now that Turkey has secured freedom of 49 Turkish citizens held hostage by group. MORE

Sep. 20, 2014

Turkish Pres Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his supporters have been denouncing The New York Times and Ceylan Yeginsu, one of the paper's correspondents, with growing furor, reacting to article about recruitment of fighters in Turkey by Islamic State militant group. MORE

Sep. 16, 2014

Turkish Pres Recep Tayyip Erdogan says that several exiled leaders of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood who fled to Qatar can perhaps find refuge in his country. MORE

Aug. 30, 2014

Ahmet Davutoglu,Turkey’s prime minister-designate, announces a new cabinet dominated by holdovers from his predecessor Recep Tayyip Erdogan. MORE

Aug. 29, 2014

Turkey's former Prime Min Recep Tayyip Erdogan is sworn in as country's first directly elected president; he is expected to continue to exercise power for at least another five years. MORE

Aug. 22, 2014

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu is chosen by the ruling Justice and Development Party to succeed President-elect Recep Tayyip Erdogan as prime minister and party chairman; his nomination will go to vote at party congress, where it is expected to go unchallenged. MORE

Aug. 19, 2014

Editorial holds Recep Tayyip Erdogan's victory in Turkey's first direct presidential election poses significant dangers for the country and allies like the United States that have long depended on it as a stabilizing force in the Middle East; contends Erdogan will now face far fewer obstacles as he pursues the interests of his Islamic-rooted party through ever-stronger executive powers. MORE

Aug. 9, 2014

Turkish Prime Min Recep Tayyip Erdogan is widely anticipated to win country's first presidential election, event that would strengthen his political influence; if victorious, Erdogan is expected to transform largely ceremonial office, expanding its clout and ensuring greater legacy for himself. MORE

Jul. 23, 2014

Dozens of Turkish police officers are detained and accused of spying on Prime Min Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his top aides. MORE

Jul. 16, 2014

Turkish Pres Abdullah Gul approves law for peace talks with Kurdish militants in an important step toward ending a three-decade insurgency; bill could also win votes for Prime Min Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is hoping to attract Kurdish support as he makes bid to become Turkey’s first directly elected president. MORE

Jul. 12, 2014

Turkish Prime Min Recep Tayyip Erdogan outlines his vision for his presidential campaign, promising to expand rights and liberties, improve welfare programs and build up Turkey's economy; Turkey's president will be chosen directly by voters for first time in August. MORE

Jul. 2, 2014

Turkey's Prime Min Recep Tayyip Erdogan announces that he will run for country's presidency, move that is likely to position him as country’s dominant political figure for years to come; in contrast with post of prime minister, presidency of Turkey has been largely, though not entirely, ceremonial; if Erdogan wins it is likely to become a vastly more powerful office. MORE

Jun. 25, 2014

Rise of Islamic State in Iraq and Syria in Iraq is latest of series of domestic and foreign policy setbacks for Turkish Prime Min Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his party; many people in Turkey blame their government for facilitating rise of extremists in Syria by having allowed rebel groups of any stripe access to battlefields in country in effort to topple Syrian Pres Bashar al-Assad. MORE

Jun. 20, 2014

Turkey's highest criminal court orders release and retrial of 230 military officers who were convicted in 2012 of trying to overthrow government of Prime Min Recep Tayyip Erdogan. MORE

May. 18, 2014

Thomas L Friedman Op-Ed column questions whether protest movements that have sprung up across the globe can transition from disrupting the status quo to creating legitimate political change; highlights as examples conflicts between protesters in Ukraine and Russian Pres Vladimir V Putin and Turkish protesters and Prime Min Recep Tayyip Erdogan. MORE

May. 17, 2014

Mine disaster in Turkey has quickly metastasized from local tragedy into new political crisis for Prime Min Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has aggravated public outrage with highhanded remarks; security forces shoot tear gas and water cannons at thousand of protesters in Soma, further heightening antigovernment sentiment. MORE

May. 6, 2014

Memo from Istanbul; new Turkish television series Kizilelma is about country's national intelligence agency, and plays into idea often represented in art of Istanbul as center of intrique; show seeks to attract audiences interested in Turkey's ongoing corruption investigation involving officials like Prime Min Recep Tayyip Erdogan, revelations about domestic surveillance, and accusations of foreign meddling. MORE

May. 3, 2014

Editorial charges groundless efforts by Turkish Prime Min Recep Tayyip Erdogan to convince United States to extradite Fethullah Gulen, Turkish preacher in Pennsylvania, represents crass and cynical attempt to exploit both law and Turkey's alliance with US for political payback; notes Erdogan and Gulen were once close but have fallen out over corruption scandal surrounding Erdogan. MORE

Apr. 30, 2014

Prime Min Recep Tayyip Erdogan announces that Turkey will officially request that United States extradite Fethullah Gulen, Turkish preacher in Pennsylvania whose network of followers has been accused of trying to undercut Erdogan's government through a corruption scandal. MORE

Apr. 18, 2014

Turkey's Parliament passes bill that increases powers of the national spy agency and strengthens its immunity; critics say bill will allow Prime Min Recep Tayyip Erdogan to bolster his control over state institutions. MORE

Apr. 18, 2014

Editorial urges Twitter to strongly resist any attempt by Turkey to compel it to release its users' identities; warns that doing so would imperil critics of Prime Min Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government as well as his political opponents and the press. MORE

Apr. 17, 2014

Representatives of Twitter arrive in Turkey for meetings to smooth things over with government of Prime Min Recep Tayyip Erdogan amid tensions over leaks on social media about an ongoing graft inquiry. MORE

Apr. 12, 2014

Turkey's Constitutional Court overturns provision of a new law that gives Prime Min Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government greater control over the judiciary; critics say law harms the country's separation of powers and is part of broader effort by Erdogan to push back against a corruption investigation. MORE

Apr. 1, 2014

Editorial criticizes Turkish Prime Min Recep Tayyip Erdogan for speech following municipal elections in which he promised to exact revenge on his political enemies; maintains response shows how far Erdogan has departed from country's democratic principles, and signals more dangerous political polarization and instability. MORE

Mar. 31, 2014

Preliminary election results in Turkey show what appear to be resounding victories in local elections for members of Prime Min Recep Tayyip Erdogan's governing party; results are likely to embolden Erdogan to extend his 11 years in power, either by running for the presidency in 2014 or by altering rules of his party to stand for a fourth term as prime minister. MORE

Mar. 29, 2014

Mayoral election in Istanbul is seen as key test for Prime Min Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose Islamist government has come under fire amid corruption scandal and social unrest; opposition sees elections as first step to loosening Erdogan's hold over country's politics. MORE

Mar. 27, 2014

Court in Turkey rules that the government of Prime Min Recep Tayyip Erdogan cannot ban Twitter, as it sought to do, and orders country’s telecommunications authority to restore access to the service; action by the government had been met inside and outside the country with an uproar about respect for freedom of expression. MORE